SUGARHILL’s SS26 “python” Collection Is a Study in Texture, Memory and Craft

SUGARHILL’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, titled “python,” continues the label’s steady, but deliberate evolution. Eschewing rigid seasonal themes, the Japanese label now favors informal nicknames – often playful and sometimes selected by founder Rikuya Hayashi’s child – that reflect its fluid, process-led design ethos.

This season builds on SUGARHILL’s core philosophy: material development. This includes the exploration of nuanced finishing techniques, research-driven references to historical garments, the shaping of contemporary silhouettes and palettes as well as a deeply hands-on relationship with production factories. The brand also places a unique emphasis on the lived quality of materials, embracing the aging processes of indigo, iron and leather as part of its creative identity. The brand’s guiding principle, “Speak less, Think more,” further underscores this thoughtful and deliberate creative process.

Drawing from the countercultural spirit of 1960s West Coast acid folk and hippie musicians, the collection channels both the sartorial freedom and raw textures of that era. To ground this vision, the team traveled through California, gathering imagery and experiences that informed the collection’s sensibility. Simultaneously, they explored how American subcultures were interpreted through a Japanese lens, drawing particularly from bands like Murahachibu and Les Rallizes Dénudés — resulting in a collection that embraces a hybrid aesthetic rooted in both global and domestic nostalgia.

“This collection is a quiet but firm declaration of our consistency and intensity over the years.” – Rikuya Hayashi

Visually restrained yet intricately crafted, the collection leans into what SUGARHILL calls “well-designed with a twist.” Key looks emphasize material consistency, with diverse silhouettes cut from a single textile and elevated through secondary processing. “We are gradually moving beyond the era of avant-garde materials,” the brand notes, instead favoring subtlety, realism and tactile integrity. Leather goods and metal jewelry, developed in close partnership with artisans, speak to this intention, merging high-level craft with emotional depth.

Color functions as both anchor and accent. Mint blue and wine red emerge as central hues, punctuated by vivid pink accents and anchored by deep indigo and black leather. Fabric aging is not only accepted but encouraged — buttons are made to rust, denim to fade and threads to dull, bringing impermanence into sharp focus as an aesthetic value. Meanwhile, nostalgic textures like Tyrolean trims and bubble broadcloth are integrated into pared-back forms to “add a layer of nostalgia and cultural nuance.”

“We simply want to keep creating and live our lives through making things, always.” – Rikuya Hayashi

As the brand marks its 10th anniversary, this collection serves less as a celebration and more as a reassertion of its creative values. “We want to reaffirm our dedication to deepening the creative process. This collection is a quiet but firm declaration of our consistency and intensity over the years,” says Hayashi.

“We’ve always questioned the default system of biannual runway shows,” says Hayashi, “While they can generate hype and elevate a brand, they also risk being consumed too rapidly, ultimately diluting value and shortening a brand’s lifespan.” Rather than chasing reinvention, SUGARHILL revisits and refines the values that shaped its earliest work. Holding a runway show this season is “a precise act of presence,” and not a nod to trends or cycles. Looking ahead, the message remains clear and steady for Hayashi and SUGARHILL: “We simply want to keep creating and live our lives through making things, always.”

Stay tuned for SUGARHILL’s highly anticipated release on HBX.